Often when a user is reading, editing or otherwise reviewing an electronic document, the user finds he or she needs additional information about a word, name or other information contained in a given document. For example, the user may need contact information for a name contained in a document or electronic mail message. For another example, the user may need a translation of one or more words contained in a document or message written in a language other than the user's native language. For another example, the user may need research information about a company or other institution identified in a document or message.
According to prior methods and systems, the user typically must interrupt the flow of his or her work with the document to launch and utilize some type of external information or research tool. For example, the user may launch a contacts application to obtain contact information on a name contained in a document or message. The user may launch a dictionary or translation tool to obtain a definition or translation for one or more words contained in a document or message. The user may launch a research tool, for example, an Internet or intranet browsing application, associated with the application in use or separate from the application in use to obtain research information on one or more words, data items or objects contained or referenced in a document or message. While such methods and systems may provide the user with the desired information, the interruption to the user's work flow is cumbersome, time consuming and distracting, particularly when the user must obtain needed information many times for a given document or message.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.